Sweet Sandwich

Most of my days are spent with Ewan. Can I just tell you how lovely that is? Let me say that, while I love all of my children...he is simply irresistible. If you have met him, you would know. He is funny and cute and witty and smart and happy and loving and the list is endless. Today, he was adamant that we have a sandwich. We drove to Subway (4 point veggie sub for me, pure heaven in a Weight Watchers kind of world) and he downed his turkey/provolone/mustard on wheat, crunched his Cheetos (with skateboarding cheetah on front of package...that seemed to make them oh-so-much better), and washed it down with a 100% juice box. He was the happiest kid. I must say that the simple joy of Ewan's "special" lunch was the most satisfying thing I experienced today. There were many things to choose from, things in which I could be equally satisfied:

1. All three boys went to the dentist today for cleaning and check-up; NO CAVITIES!!! That is such a pat on the back as a parent...a parent, who seems to be constantly bellowing down the hall, "Brush your teeth!"

2. Pinkberry (with Ewan dancing on the bench...fantastically funny)

3. Shopping trip to TJ Maxx & Target

4. My first successful den meeting (only 4 boys showed up, but we made Chinese paper lanterns and talked about traditions of Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac, wrapped it up with home made orange cookies to sweeten the deal!)

5. Basketball with the ladies...over an hour of it (sweet passes, a couple of great spin moves, one block and one three...nothing to complain about there!)

And yet, the sandwich, at the Subway, with the skatboarding cheetah tops the list. Funny. Funny, sweet, irresistible little boy.

A wonderful weekend. I drove down to Carlsbad and had a mani/pedi with Jenn and Sue. The nail place people were in top form. A bit of a surprise for Jenn. Susan and I gathered friends for a birthday celebration dinner at Extraordinary Desserts in Little Italy, San Diego. She was very shocked and kept saying, "I'm so happy." It was a great night...genuine...enveloping...happy. Wrapping up the weekend was a Stake 8 Year Old Fireside. Quin was so happy at this event. He could not stop grinning. I love that.

Just drying those nails. Does that mini fan really do the job....really? I'm not a believer in the mini fan.

I ordered the Cobb Salad. It was gorgeous and delish. I thank our peirced waitress for the recommendation.

After I took this photo, he said, "I wanted to make sure you got my lost tooth" which he pulled that afternoon. I got it all right.

I have been a busy bee. I am volunteering in both boys classes, I am trying to run a little business (Baby K), I am coaching Cole's 1st grade boys basketball team, and I currently have three, count them THREE, callings in church. I serve on the Ward Activities Committee (which is fun and funny and weird and crazy all at once), I am the Visiting Teaching Coordinator (which is mostly number crunching, but I really want it to be more than that....inspiration and fire under the butt to do your VT), and the newest and most daunting is Cub Scout Den Leader. Went to my first Pinewood Derby last night. Thankfully, this job falls on Thursday nights, when I am already trekking to the church for some refreshingly exhausting basketball with the ladies. Scouting is going to be wicked sweet and the refreshment table (which last night consisted of microwave popcorn and Ritz crackers, ugh) will be amazing by the end of this whirlwind! As for the past couple of days....rain, rain, and more rain. Here is what I do when it rains:

Let me apologize for light quality in these photos, but you must know that it has been pouring rain here for the last few days and good light is hard to come by. As we have been socked by torrential downpours lately, I have been cozy under a big red blanket working my needles to death, and watching Tivo-ed Project Runway re-runs. I knit a wool bag and felted it and then three little girly hats (I don't usually make so many girl hats...mostly boys...I highly favor the boys colors and not so much the girly ones, but lately have had orders for girls by the dozens...what's the deal?)

The Mundane

Today's post is just mundane, day to day things, but some would say that those become the most interesting things in life. The doors in our house close on their own. I found a good solution. A little project yesterday from a tutorial on All It Took blog. "I am a crooked girl, I live in a crooked house, with my happy crooked dog and my loving crooked spouse!" In other words, I needed door stops and these were just the project to get the job done!


As for today, Ewan and I are loving the solitude of home. It is a rainy day, here in LA, and Quin and Cole were off school yesterday for MLK Day. So, today we are enjoying a quiet day of Disney videos and Pirate's Booty. Our own little movie theater. Ewan did attempt to venture outside. He found a bush in the back yard that is in bloom and I snapped a couple of pics before racing my cold, bare feet back into the warm house.

Fresh

After being cooped up for a bit, with the sickness, I have been wanting fresh. Fresh air. Fresh fruit. Fresh breath. So today, a couple of "fresh" things. Fresh juice and a project fresh off the hoop. Enjoy.

Fresh squeezed grapefruit/blood orange/tangelo juice.

Fresh from my fingers. Wee embroidered birds. Sewn onto a little messenger bag that I whipped up tonight.

Sharing and a Novel

The sickness has spread like peanut butter on toast! Quin decided he would generously share with his little brothers. I can't be mad, right? Sharing is good and all. I did my best to Clorox and sanitize, but they are just too close to each other, not to share germs. That said, I have not been out and about and I have been caring for kids day and night. It is exhausting and I have not done a lot of projects. Here is one small thing I did do for my friend Mandy, whose children "shared" with her too. Mom's can't be sick...we don't get sick leave. I quickly stitched up a little tissue holder from some Amy Butler fabric, stuffed it with menthol scented Puffs, added some Ricola and Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night, bagged it, tagged it and done! She LOVED it, making every stitch a happy one.

I can't say that ALL I've been doing has been for the kiddos. I did pick up February's Book Club read (already finished with January, The Red Tent) The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. I find it pairs well with Light Hot Cocoa in my favorite green cup. It is a tale of English court scandal and the cup is just "goblet" enough to accompany this well-written, encapsulating (and it must be said, quite sexual) novel.

Delish Dish

Tonight's nutritious dinner. Grilled Mediterranean chicken breast, fresh asparagus with kosher salt and red pepper flakes, sweet crispy red grapes. It was perfect.

AHHHH.

75 degrees today. Stake Conference, lunch, nap, then sunset at the beach. I enjoy the beauty of this place. This is why we live where we do. This is the setting for our fairy tale. This is the life we dream about. This is pure happiness, pure bliss.

Promises, promises

As promised, an exhibit of hard work (while tending sick children). The brown and white "fleck" one is not my norm. But it is organic cotton yarn, dye-free...for those shops that want/like that sorta thing. It is high quality, I must say, even if the colors are not as funky as I prefer.

Great Expectations

You must be expecting great things from me. Fabulous lunches, exciting excursions and finished projects. Not so much. For the first week back to school (read: the first full week of sanity), Quin got sick. Not just clear snot streaming down face sick, but green muck, hacking cough, not sleeping a wink for days sick. I took him to the doctor (caring, skinny, Asian man-Dr. Nyugen) and here is what I came back with:

$84.96 in medicines. Ugh. But you know what...it was so worth the good nights sleep we all got last night!

As for lunches...chicken noodle soup (from the can). Excursions to the pharmacy. And projects? I actually did get some knitting done. Will post later today or tomorrow. Ewan was such a great companion for Quin this week. He has such compassion for sick/hurt/sad people. He just keeps saying, "Poor baby." So cute and sweet, I just love that kid.

Quin's days have been spent with pillows and cartoons and a compassionate little brother.

Following Suit

Nikki has chosen a word for the year 2008. It seems like a good idea.

My word is going to be:

AMELIORATE (uh-meel-yuh-reit)
verb; to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve

It seems in all aspects of my life, this is what I am striving for: improvement. In BabyK I need to improve my relationships with shop owners, my website and my general marketing strategy. In exercise I need to improve my duration and intensity. In food choices I need to improve my sweets consumption and water intake. The list is never-ending, however, I don't feel overwhelmed, just encouraged and hopeful and aware. Ameliorate. In 2008, I will ameliorate myself and my way of life.

Cole-ism

Another one. Today, I had to get fingerprinted so that I can volunteer coach for the City of Torrance. I'll be coaching Cole's 1st grade basketball team for the next three months (should be interesting). So, I told the boys all the stuff I had to do today so that I could be his coach...

-go to the City Hall Rec Department to get the roster, shirts and balls
-go to the police department to be fingerprinted
-fill out oodles of paperwork
-return to City Hall to turn it all in

Cole asked why I had to go to the police station to do finger painting. I corrected him; fingerprinting. He didn't get it. I had to explain that each person has a different pattern on their fingers and the police checked my fingerprints to make sure that I didn't commit any crimes. So Cole (light bulb above head) says, "Oh, so if someone does something wrong then it is on their fingerprints and the police will know all the bad stuff they've done." I almost said, "Yeah, so you better be really good!" But I didn't. A 30 minute discussion/explanation ensued. Thank you, Lord, for giving me patience with my children today!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Yesterday I waited for nearly four hours at the Chevy dealership...for routine, general maintenance. The delusional guy in the booth told me "about an hour." Hmm. His concept of time was slightly skewed. However, my adjective for the booth guy quickly changed when (at about the three hour wait mark) he told me that he was not going to charge me one red cent for my car's service. He is now the handsome and generous booth guy who will always be my service consultant until I die. I saved a hundred bucks. So, for sitting in the Chevy lobby, watching the news, I basically made 25 bucks an hour. So worth the wait.



A quick picture of Quin. Yesterday he was playing Rock Band and waiting to go to a birthday party for a little boy in his 2nd grade class. I just think that he was looking so great. Love you Quin.

Sound Reasoning

Exhausted. Could it be because I stayed up late? Why was I up late?

1. Going up to Koreatown with Tim for Korean BBQ at Soot Bull Jeep (Translation: Wood Burning House).
-Koreatown is west of downtown LA.
-In Koreatown you officially leave California...wait, you leave the United States.
-I was slightly afraid for my life and would never go there without 6 foot 2 Tim with me.
-The parking is ridiculous, but there is a creepy hotel that offers valet!
(You just have to be deeply religious to use this service, because prayer is required to get your car back)
-The restaurant is poorly lit and scantily decorated
-The yummy food makes up for all previous complaints
-Imagine marinated, thin sliced meats
-Imagine spicy side dishes surrounding a burning hot grill in the middle of the table
-Imagine getting your own tongs to flip the meat with (power...power!)
-Imagine chopsticks and sticky rice, fresh veg and good laughs...ahhh.

2. Getting home and scrubbing the stank off of me from the smokey BBQ place in Crazyville (read: Koreatown LA)

3. Getting clothing started in the laundry so the smokey stank doesn't contaminate all other clothes in the hamper

4. Writing my restaurant critique in this handy little book that Susan gave me (I love that book, thank you Sue)
-Food is our common ground, a universal experience- James Beard

5. Writing in my journal...physically using a blue pen...to document my life and ideas and deepest, darkest secrets

So, now today, it is is gloomy and rainy outside and all day I have worked on Visiting Teaching assignments. Ahh! But I finished them and they are a great paper craft that will be appreciated. Please be forgiving when you see today's nutritious lunch (remember the "exhausted" thing, not to mention, it is the last day of having all three boys home ALL DAY LONG for Christmas holiday, how did I get ANYTHING done?) Happy Friday!


Ready for my date with Tim in Koreatown. A quick thanks to Cabrena for that necklace...I really like it. Cole snapped this picture of me as I was getting ready. He is pretty good at stuff like that.








Today's nutritious lunch. Healthy Choice Chicken and Rice soup with fresh cracked pepper. Gala apple and cheddar. One slice homemade whole wheat toast. Don't criticize,remember the exhaustion.






A little paper craft. Visiting Teaching assignment magnets. Took me all day to input the information, cut, hole punch, ribbon and slap a little magnet square on the backside. Thank you Coley for your help with that.

Two days worth

No time yesterday, amid activities to blog. Make-up work was always one of my strengths though.

Yesterday's nutritious lunch. Fresh salad with chopped chicken and non-calorie honey mustard dressing. A side of Healthy Choice soup. Scrumptious.


An adorable gift from a dear friend! A new apron...one that I have been wanting for a long while. Worth the wait, I must say. Thank you so much Jenn. It is perfect.


Today's nutritious lunch. Grilled cheese...I know what you are thinking..."nutritious?" Homemade whole wheat bread. One slice of Tillamook cheddar and lightly grilled in a pan sprayed with Pam. Tomato soup with cracked pepper. Crystal Light lemonade. Satisfying...to say the least.

Things I really like, if not love. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. A dear friend and a close Starbucks. A good book and a hot bath (together). New yarn and anxious needles. Prime time TV and a York peppermint patty (I'm wanting one right now...I should have bought one yesterday when I had the chance...as for the Prime time...we shall see when that all blows over, ugh). Children's books and fuzzy blankets. Sunrise and yoga. A crisp magazine and a pedicure. Quin and Cole. Ewan and Tim. Duke and a leash. A good restaurant and better company. Strappy heels and somewhere to be. A great idea and extra cash to make it happen. Don't you LOVE that one. I do. I could go on and on, there is so much that I really appreciate. You will soon find out the magnitude of my gratitude.

All things 'K'

New Year's Day and time to start things that have needed "starting." Like blogging, again. I must say, that reading through great blogs have been inspiring, amusing and, to be honest, time consuming...but oh-so-worthwhile. So on this day I begin, what will hopefully become a lucrative and enjoyable past time.

The title for today, "All things 'K.'" Let me explain. After 25 years of not really liking my name, I have finally come to the realization that it's just fine. In fact, to embrace it, I have started branding things I make and love with the big, fat "K." I am officially owning it. So when you see things that I have labeled with the "K," that may or may not start with the "K," understand that I am taking artistic license. Your kindness appreciated and may good karma find you.




My first picture...a little Christmas knitting that I did for dear friends. Thanks to belladia for the pom pom tutorial...so helpful.


A great way to display all the wonderful Christmas cards we got this year. Kitchen twine, thumb tacks, and good old-fashioned clothespins.


Today's nutritious lunch. Turkey burger (with fresh cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes and red onion), ketchup, mustard, organic whole wheat bun, veggies and Tillamook cheddar. So wonderfully delish.